


The Eyes and Ears

by twicebornstar



Category: Elder Scrolls, Elder Scrolls Online
Genre: Aldmeri Dominion, Gen, Three Banners War (Elder Scrolls)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-20
Updated: 2020-08-20
Packaged: 2021-03-06 19:02:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,301
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26013826
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/twicebornstar/pseuds/twicebornstar
Summary: By the time they ride out of the Black Boot castle gates the sun hangs lower in the sky and a distant, rosy fog paints the horizon, turning trees and hills into hazy shapes. Before the scout lies the entire province, and any number of enemy forces that would readily kill them on sight.
Comments: 1
Kudos: 1





	The Eyes and Ears

**Author's Note:**

> I like doing scouting missions in Cyrodiil and coming up with stories as I go.

The evening sun hangs heavy and golden over the Eastern Elsweyr Gate as the scout checks the mission postings. Castle Brindle, currently in Covenant hands. By the time they reach it the evening darkness will hide their approach from enemy eyes. Perfect. The Transitus Network can only take them as far as Castle Faregyl at the moment, so they check their map. Castle Black Boot might be a better choice, if they then head west past Vlastarus, sticking to the less traveled roads of the Southern Woodlands.

By the time they ride out of the Black Boot castle gates the sun hangs lower in the sky and a distant, rosy fog paints the horizon, turning trees and hills into hazy shapes. Before the scout lies the entire province, and any number of enemy forces that would readily kill them on sight. On a whim they head west, their horse’s hooves drumming against the ground until they reach the Abbey of the Eight, nestled into the woods. The initiates greet them with the same gentle friendliness as they always do, though they can feel the Knights of the Eight watching them closely. After what happened at the Temple of the Ancestor Moths they can’t blame them for being wary of any armed stranger showing up wearing an alliance’s insignia.

The scout takes a moment to rest at the brazier, listening to the soft prayer spoken by the abbess. Maybe the Eight will watch over them, and bring them back home safely from the battlefield.

They leave just as the sun disappears over the western mountains, colouring the foggy sky a milky, rosy yellow. Towards the east, faint stars begin to appear against the darkening blue. A nirnroot grows by a roadside pond as the scout walks their horse out of the abbey compound, its soft chime unmistakable in their ear. They pick it and the noise stops, though the soft glow remains. Some soldiers they know have taken to carrying nirnroot tucked away somewhere in their armor, a lucky charm to keep them rooted on nirn. May neither aetherius nor oblivion claim you before your time.

Broken palisades just north of the abbey, an abandoned merchant’s cart further along the road. Even here, the war has left its ugly marks. As the shadows grow longer, the blue flames of the way markers guide the scout past the ayleid ruins of Nornalhorst. They keep their distance and the Gray Viper bandits lurking between the crumbling walls leave them alone. Vlastarus is a welcome sight, though they only stop briefly to greet the Dominion soldiers that guard the village, and to speak to the locals. So far, things seem calm, no one has spotted any Covenant forces in a while. It’s not far from here to Castle Brindle now. They hope to get there by nightfall.

There is no direct road from Vlastarus to Castle Brindle without a major detour past Nikel Outpost, but an old ruined fort north-west of the village marks the way well enough. Besides, it’s not the first time the scout has come this way. By now the sky is full of stars, the moons hanging large and round above the trees, and their eyes adapt as darkness falls. In the far distance, hazy in the evening fog, they can make out the tall roofs of Castle Brindle.

The scout leaves their horse hidden in the forest and continues on foot, carefully watching a road they have to cross as it winds around the castle. So far, the night is quiet. Their hand briefly touches the potion strapped to their belt. If necessary, an invisibility potion might save their life. There is little shelter to be found closer to the castle, the trees that once grew here long cut down to gain wood for construction and to create an open field to prevent enemies from approaching unseen. But they’re stealthy, and in the dark even the patrolling Covenant guard and the mages up on the castle walls don’t notice them, so long as they keep their distance.

To the east the scout spots the remains of a war camp and a siege ramp, left behind by a previous battle. Just the vantage point they need. Paper and pencil in hand, they quickly write down anything they see. The guards by the main gate, the patrols, the mages posted on the battlements. Noise from inside the walls indicates a significant enemy force. Retaking this place for the Dominion will not be easy without a significant number of soldiers, but if the attack is fast and forceful it might be enough before reinforcements can arrive from Fort Ash or Nikel Outpost. Castle Brindle’s raised position could make approach difficult for a larger army, but if done right the forested surroundings could be used advantageously. They make a note about how Gottlesfont Priory still stands nearby and could be used as a hideout to secretly mass troups under the cover of darkness before an attack.

With valuable information now tucked safely into their armor the scout retreats, passing by the priory chapel before they return to their horse. Sister Inirisi greets them with heavy sadness in her voice. Benches upturned, books torn up and pages scattered across the floor, sacred artifacts stolen, priests and priestesses killed in the violence of this war. The scout carefully rips off the part of their report that mentions the priory. Some people have suffered enough.

On the way back, blue flags over Vlastarus force them to make a detour to the east to bypass an enemy front. Are they returning to Fort Roebeck or Castle Brindle, or are they marching towards Castle Faregyl, or Castle Black Boot? There is no time to mourn the soldiers that fell to the Covenant in Vlastarus. The scout urges their horse to run faster. They slow down only when they reach the abandoned orchard, a sad landmark on the way back to Dominion territory. Scorched trees, a torn-up windmill, collapsed farmhouses, and not a soul in sight. A small tree grows inside one of the buildings, surrounded by torchbugs glowing in the night. Nature reclaims. They briefly wonder which army might have caused the locals to flee, but in the end it matters little.

Past the orchards Castle Faregyl is only a few hours away. The scout narrowly avoids an Imperial war camp but makes a quick note of it in their report. The ayleid ruins of Jura’s Fall rise high to the south, their white stone well visible even in the dark, then finally the familiar floating, glowing stones of Faregyl. They announce themselves to a patrol of soldiers so as to not attract any friendly fire and present their badge verifying them as a Dominion scout to the guards at the gate before being let inside. The soldiers are on egde, Pact forces were spotted in the surrounding area. With the Pact front currently at nearby Cropsford an attack might be possible.

The scout has no time to stay and fight however. The war moves constantly across the province and with every second their information gets more useless. The local Transitus Shrine glows bright and blue, carefully maintained by four Dominion mage guards, ready to send them back to the Eastern Elsweyr Gate. General Thoron greets them with a brief smile as they hand in their information, to be passed along to the soldiers that might soon try and retake Castle Brindle for the Dominion. For the scout, work will continue after a brief nap and meal, and some rest for their horse. The eyes and ears of the Dominion army. This war might not end anytime soon.

Rain begins to fall as they head for the baracks. Over the eastern horizon, a new morning dawns, foggy and pale.


End file.
